UP Town Center circa May 2015

How it has changed since December 2014. More shops have opened, in fact I heard that these shops opened just two days ago, on 7 May.

Below is the list of shops:

Funny because we saw two shops with the name “Animal” – one of them sells clothes for humans, another sells dog food, dog toys, etc. Unfortunately, Ringo’s Royal Canine Urinary S/O which sells for P980 in Marikina sells for P1300 in this shop, so we didn’t get any. I guess the rent in UPTC is responsible?

There’s also a National Bookstore so I got some coloring pens still: Staedtler, Dong A, and Dong A. Take note, A is pronounced as long a. Did you know that already? Shucks, I didn’t.

We had lunch in Ramen Nagi where fortunately, we were given paper bibs – like bond paper paper bibs. I really needed that as soup would have streaked my black shirt in no time like drool in overdrive. I ordered the squid ink ramen.

Also ordered gyoza and would have ordered karaage had I not recalled that they have a no takeout rule. Later when I took a bite of the gyoza, I tasted ginger. Husband shuns ginger, son said he was full. I didn’t even finish the solitary gyoza I had taken from the serving dish.

Prior to paying, I wanted to offer the 4 gyozas to the young ones in the next table, but son said they were through. Had their table been nearer, I would have.

But what do you know, when the server came to our table, I asked, “Do you eat the leftover?” Dumb question but the nuns in school said not to have leftovers. I guess she misheard me because she said “Pwede i-takeout.” I was incredulous, she must have seen my reaction as she said “basta dry.” So there. Earlier I rued how their no takeout rule cuts their income, because as I mentioned, I’d have ordered the karaage had they allowed takeout. Now I now – dry food takeout is allowed.

After lunch, we walked toward Mad Marx or something for ice cream. Then son said, “Would you like Cold Stone instead?” I said it was up to him so we went to CS.

I had a combination of strawberry and coffee ice cream in the smallest cup. All three of us ordered the smallest cup. But there was this young girl, maybe around 10 years old, who ordered the cup three steps “higher” than ours. And she was near done with it. Oh to be young.

As we had our ice cream outside CS, we saw these:

Brilliant idea.

Next time we go to UP Town Center, we will bring a book or more to share.

Thus far, the second floor (two floors up the ground floor, ergo the third floor ordinarily) is not accessible to those in wheelchairs as the elevator isn’t yet ready. So son suggested that his father go up to Digital Walker while he brought me to National Bookstore. Great idea. While on the ground floor, we saw a stall selling statement socks (that was the second stall we saw; another on the first floor carried another brand). Wellworth had racks and tables of goods, their doors have yet to open.

Another shop, The Paper Store, sold a lot of cute stuff made of paper or printed paper. Next time, I’ll explore. Beside it is a shop for baking afficionados. It sold Peotraco of various kinds, Crisco of two kinds (butter and regular), etc. It also sold Oreos.

There are optical shops (Vision Express for one), clinics (Qualimed – I shuddered – anything medical related has that effect on me). Husband saw barbershops (Titan and he forgets what).

I wished out loud that they’d have Mercury Drugstore; son said there’s Watson’s anyway.

Very interesting mix of stores.

More to come, I’m sure. A grocery is scheduled to open; as to when, no one could tell us.